Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Slammed For Promoting Costly ‘Transformative Workout’
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are huge advocates of healthy living. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, the royal couple took to Instagram to promote a variety of workout programs, including one that is marketed as a “transformative workout of the body and mind.” The only problem is that the program comes with a hefty price tag.
Fans slam Harry and Markle for promoting costly workout plans
According to NBC News, the class that came under fire is by Taryn Toomey, who is well known for putting together expensive getaways. As an example, Toomey organizes one fitness retreat in Mexico that goes for $3,500. Classes in The Hamptons sell for $42 a pop. Toomey hosts classes in other locations around the country, including venues in Los Angeles, New York City, Vancouver, Canada, and Miami.
Given the exorbitant costs, fans asked Harry and Markle why they would promote such classes instead of focusing solely on charities. Some royal experts also cautioned the couple about promoting various causes that might make it look like they were giving friends a special shout out.
Despite the backlash, it is good that Harry and Markle are promoting health and fitness, though they could have been a little more selective about how they went about it.
How did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle respond to the criticism?
The royal family has not commented on the backlash. Toomey’s representative allegedly released a statement following the couple’s Instagram post, thanking them for the support. Harry and Markle are involved in a larger campaign called Heads Together, which aims to promote mental health awareness. The campaign was organized by the Royal Foundation in partnership with Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Harry and Markle hope that their campaign will help end negative stigmas associated with mental health disorders and open up conversations on the topic. This is partly why they posted in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month.
They may have received plenty of backlash for the organizations they promoted, but they undoubtedly had good intentions with the post. With over 7.6 million followers, the message was also heard by many.
“There are countless organizations doing amazing work for mental health — please consider the accounts we’ve highlighted as a small snapshot of this global support network,” the couple shared.
William and Harry could unite through family
Mental health controversies aside, Harry and Markle recently welcomed their first child into the world. Earlier this month, the pair had a healthy baby boy in Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor. The birth comes amid reports that Prince William and Prince Harry have grown apart in recent months.
Although royal staffers had hoped that two brothers would work together as they got older, those dreams were dashed as they started separate families and moved offices. But with the birth of Harry’s first child, there is a renewed hope that the pair will grow close once again.
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Anime NYC Institutes Ban on Cosplays of “Fictitious Nazis or Nazi-Like Organizations”
If you’re going to ban this cosplay. Then ban Death Note, Fullmental Alchemst, Darker Than Black…… I’ve never seen this anime so I’m gonna have to put this in my anime watch list. Let’s NOT be choosy as to what OFFENDS YOU. A lot of anime is sexually explicit and the cosplay is very sexually revealing . And display violence.
The upcoming Anime NYC anime convention has instituted a ban prohibiting cosplayers from dressing up in “[c]ostumes associated with organized hate groups.”
According to the convention’s ‘About’ page, convention organizers LeftField Media have instituted three rules for cosplayers who plan on attending Anime NYC in November. While the first two listed rules are common across most conventions, the third rule is a newly introduced policy banning a specific category of costume:
COSPLAY RULES
Costumes must be appropriate to wear in public – if you can’t wear it on the streets of New York, you can’t wear it in Anime NYC.
Naked isn’t a costume. Anime NYC is an event which will draw fans of all ages, including those under 18.
Costumes associated with organized hate groups are forbidden. This includes cosplay of fictitious Nazis or Nazi-like organizations from Hellsing, Tanya the Evil, Captain America, Indiana Jones, etc. Absolutely no swastika imagery is allowed.
Though the rule in question specifically targets the promotion or display of “fictitious Nazis or Nazi-like organizations,” Anime NYC has been highly inconsistent in its application of the rule. Tanya the Evil, a series specifically noted in the rules, features allusions to aspects of World War II (such as the appearance of the World War II-era MP40 submachine guns or a character based on Werner Von Braun) but is entirely set in a fictional country based heavily on World War I-era Europe.
Furthermore, in a move deemed hypocritical by some fans, the close professional partnership between LeftField Media and Crunchyroll led to Anime NYC promoting a special screening of The Saga of Tanya the Evil – the Movie:
Anime NYC is not the first convention to ban this type of cosplay. Back in 2017, Rose City Comic Con banned Red Skull and other fictitious Nazi cosplay.
Similar to Anime NYC their statement read:
“Hateful symbols aren’t welcome at Rose City Comic Con. Historical costumes can be great, but reminders of unspeakable atrocities are not appropriate – this goes for Old School Hydra and Red Skull or any other Nazis from entertainment properties. Those figures, while comic-related, are still very much Nazis. As a result, they are 100% banned, always. This includes any sort of “ironic” or satirical costumes that re-appropriate Nazi paraphernalia or gear. You won’t just be banned from that year’s convention. You will be banned from coming to RCCC for life.”
What do you make of Anime NYC’s move to ban “fictitious Nazis or Nazi-like organizations?” Original article below ????
Trayvon Martin’s Mom Announces Run for Office in Miami
A mother who turned to activism after the slaying of her black teen son Trayvon Martin has announced she is running for office in Miami.
The Miami Herald reports Sybrina Fulton will be entering the race to join the 13-member board of Miami-Dade County commissioners.
Fulton said in a Saturday statement that she would continue working to end gun violence. She will challenge Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert for the seat that is up for grabs in 2020 because of term limits.
Trayvon’s parents head a foundation and have been recognized for their work on gun reform and social justice.
Trayvon was unarmed when shot dead by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who was later acquitted on the grounds of self-defense. His death sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.
via: https://ktla.com/2019/05/19/trayvon-martins-mom-announces-run-for-office-in-miami/
Photo Credit: Getty Images/ktla.com
Video shows man being punched multiple times in face by Dover Police
DOVER, New Jersey— The family of a New Jersey man is demanding answers after disturbing cellphone videos surfaced overnight of his violent arrest by the Dover Police department.
The video showed the 19-year-old man being punched in the face several times by a Dover police officer during an arrest in New Jersey.
The man, who family identified to PIX11 News as Cyprian Luke of Morristown, could be seen with a bloodied face as a Dover Police officer allegedly strikes him while he’s being restrained on the ground by additional Dover police officers.
Four officers in all are seen restraining Luke, demanding his to “stop resisting.”
“He’s not able to comply with what they’re asking him because they’re not allowing him to,” Luke’s mother, Mary Yurley said to PIX11 News while watching the video.
In the video, onlookers can be heard shouting expletives at the officers and telling the man to “smile.”
At one point, someone off- camera can be heard asking the man to roll over and comply with the officers—But Luke’s mother said while she understands the job police officers are there to do, she believes they used excessive force.
“This was wrong,” Yurley saud.
Dozens of Dover community members and residents protested in front of Dover police headquarters late Sunday night, demanding justice.
“It wasn’t right, they didn’t read him his rights or none of that,” said Luke’s brother, Christopher Luke.
The 19-year-old’s significant other and their two-year-old daughter were also at the rally.
“We usually all sleep together,” said Janelle Harris. “She knows, she’s like where is my daddy?” Harris said.
Around 2 a.m. Sunday,Luke was reportedly being detained on a bench warrant for “charges of assault, violating court orders and criminal mischief.”
It’s unclear what happened prior to the video, and a spokesperson for the Dover Police department was unable clarify that answer.
Dover police says the investigation has been turned over to the prosecutors office and a number of officers have been placed on administrative leave with pay.
via: https://pix11.com/2019/05/19/video-shows-man-being-punched-multiple-times-in-face-by-dover-police/
Photo Credit: pix11.com
9-year-old boy puts car in reverse, accidentally runs over his mother
CHELMSFORD, Mass. (AP) — Police in Massachusetts say a mother has been struck by her own car and seriously injured after her child accidentally put the car into reverse while she was loading the vehicle.
Chelmsford Police Chief James Spinney says the 37-year-old woman, who authorities haven’t identified, is expected to survive the Sunday morning incident.
Police say the woman’s 9-year-old son shifted the car into reverse while she was standing at the open driver’s side front door. They say the woman tried to dive for the brake pedal, but was pinned and then run over by the vehicle.
The vehicle continued down the driveway and came to a stop after striking a rock wall opposite the house. The child wasn’t injured.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Middle school teacher accused of slapping student in class
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFTS) — A middle school teacher in Florida is accused of slapping one of her students in class.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call at Giunta Middle School on South Falkenburg Road in Riverview after a 13-year-old male student reported that his teacher, 63-year-old Sheila Vakili slapped him during class.
Deputies later interviewed the student and his classmates regarding the alleged incident. Deputies were told the student made a profane comment during class. Vakili heard the comment and thought the student called her a profane name.
According to the students, Vakili smacked the student in the face “with enough force to cause redness and swelling.”
Vakili was charged with simple child abuse.
“The safety of our Hillsborough County students is something we take very seriously,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a statement. “A teacher is supposed to be a role model to the young people in their classrooms and set an example for how to behave, even at a time of frustration. It is never acceptable for a teacher to become physically violent with a student.”
According to the Hillsborough County Public Schools, Vakili was a regular substitute teacher for many years with the district. Vakili became a fulltime teacher in 2011 and did not have any previous issues, HCPS said.
Vakili will not be on campus as the investigation continues, HCPS said.
Photo Credit: kmov.com/Hillsborough County Sheriff
West Point is about to graduate its largest class of black women
(CNN) — Thirty-four black women are expected to graduate from West Point next week.
That will be the largest class of African-American women to graduate together in the military academy’s lengthy history, West Point spokesman Frank Demaro said.
“Last year’s graduating class had 27,” said Demaro. “And the expectation is next year’s class will be even larger than this year’s.”
Last year, the school appointed Lt. Gen. Darryl A. Williams as its first black superintendent.
In 2017, the academy for the first time selected an African-American woman, Simone Askew, to serve at the top of the chain of command for cadets.
“It makes me feel prideful that the academy is acknowledging diversity,” 2012 West Point alum Shalela Dowdy said.
Dowdy, who said she makes an effort to stay in touch with female African-American cadets to “offer support,” believes the outreach the minority admissions office at West Point is doing is the reason why more minorities are coming to the school.
“There were only 13 in my class, I just counted, but the numbers keep going up and up. It’s encouraging and inspiring to see leaders graduating from the school that are from all different kinds of backgrounds and represent the diversity of the army itself,” said Dowdy.
West Point’s graduating class is seeing diversity in other minority groups. “Also, this year’s class will have the highest number of female Hispanic graduates along with graduating our 5,000th female cadet since the first class of women to graduate in 1980,” said Demaro.
Cadet Tiffany Welch-Baker, spoke to the website “Because Of Them We Can,” about her feelings about being a part of this historic graduating class.
“My hope when young black girls see these photos is that they understand that regardless of what life presents you, you have the ability and fortitude to be a force to be reckoned with.”
West Point created its office of diversity in 2014 to try to attract, retain and promote a “more diverse workforce” according to its website.
About 10% of undergraduate students are black and women make up about 20% of cadets, according to the school’s statistics.
Vice President Mike Pence will speak at the graduation ceremony on May 25, according to a news release from the academy. “More than 950 cadets are expected to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy and be commissioned as second lieutenants in the US Army,” according to the release.
Photo Credit: kmov.com/Courtesy of Hallie Pound/West Point Academy
Disney World employee busted after posting photos of stolen memorabilia online
Maybe he was the real Dumbo at Disney.
A former Disney World employee accused of stealing $7,000 in memorabilia was arrested after posting photos of the missing items online, according to authorities.
Patrick Allen Spikes, 24, became a suspect when his Twitter profile included pictures of valuable items two months after they were swiped from the theme park in Orlando, Florida, according to the arrest affidavit.
He became combative when questioned about the photos of “Buzzy,” a character missing from the “Cranium Command” attraction at Epcot, leading to an initial charge of resisting arrest, the records show.
A search warrant of his home and phone then turned up photos of stolen Disney wigs, skirts and jackets, according to the document.
He is accused of also using his Disney employee ID to access underground tunnels to get to Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion, where some of the costumes were stolen.
Financial records showed that Spikes received about $30,000 via PayPal from two buyers, according to the affidavit, with police saying the missing items were far more valuable on the black market.
One of the buyers returned 18 items that Disney World said had all been stolen, according to the document.
Detectives say they are still investigating and trying to track down the rest of the items that have been documented as stolen.
Spikes was shown smirking in his mugshot as Orange County Sheriff’s Office charged him with burglary, grand theft, and dealing in stolen property.
Disney said the case was a “law enforcement matter.”
Photo Credit: nypost.com/Orange County Sheriff’s Office
1 dead, 8 wounded in shooting at graduation party in Alabama
ATMORE, Ala. (WALA) — A graduation party in Alabama ended in violence, leaving one dead and eight others injured in a shooting.
The party was attended by “past and present students” of Escambia County High School in Atmore early Saturday morning.
Police say one person was killed and eight others were wounded during the shooting.
Escambia County High School principal Dennis Fuqua said the community “felt the pangs of tragedy due to the acts of violence that left several of our past and present students injured.”
According to Atmore police, officers were dispatched around 2 a.m. to a call of shots fired at 100 Martin Luther King Ave, which is the location of the former Escambia County Middle School. That former school building is now a community center.
Officers heard gunshots going off around the property as they arrived on the scene. The officers assisted the gunshot victims while restoring order at the scene, police said. Officers found one male victim dead in the cafeteria.
Witnesses told police the fight initially broke out between two women. Officials say gunshots were fired inside the building, hitting several individuals. The unknown individuals suspected of firing the shots fled to the parking lot, were police say more shots were fired, hitting more victims.
According to officials, a total of eight people were injured during the gunfire. They were transported to Atmore Community Hospital for treatment.
Atmore police encourage anyone with information about the shooting to call authorities.
Saturday afternoon, Escambia County High School Principal Dennis Fuqua issued the following statement:
“It’s always a great day to be a Blue Devil, but yesterday was a day of triumph and tragedy. By day, our seniors experienced the high of obtaining 8.6 million dollars in scholarships, and our varsity football team experienced their first win of the season. Yet, by night we all felt the pangs of tragedy due to the acts of violence that have left several of our past and present students injured. It is unfortunate that the event at the community center has tainted the success our seniors and football team felt, but we love our Blue Devil Family and will continue to pray for wisdom and healing.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Teacher says she was fired for taking breaks to pump breast milk
PORTLAND, Maine (AP/Meredith) — A former Falmouth elementary school teacher contends the school district declined to renew her contract because she took three breaks a day to pump breast milk for her baby.
Thirty-three-year-old Shana Swenson, of Portland, sued last week in federal court, claiming discrimination on the basis of gender and pregnancy.
Melissa Hewey, an attorney for Falmouth schools, told the Bangor Daily News that the claims of discrimination are “false.” She said the district provides on-site daycare, extended parental leave and paid time for breast pumping or breastfeeding.
Swenson was a “response to intervention” teacher who helped students in the third through fifth grades who struggled with reading and math. The lawsuit says she was subjected to “extreme animosity and hostility” because of her breaks during the day.
Photo Credit: Getty Images